Thermostatic controlling apparatus for heating systems.



T. PARMERJR. THBRMQSTATIG GONTROLLINS APPARATUS FORAHEATING SYSTEMS.APPLIOATION FILED APR. 21. 1909 Y 1,072,707, Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A T. FARMER, JB. THERMOSTATIG GONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

. APPLIoATloIf FILED APR.21,1909. s 1,072,707. Patentedssept. 9,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEEYT 2.

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THOMAS FARMER, JR., F ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSGNOR TO CONSOLIDATED CAE-I-IEATING COMPANY, F ALBANY, NEW' YORK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

THERMOSTATIG CONTROLLING APARATUS FOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

Spec'ieation of Letters Patent.

rateale-eu sept. e, i913.

Application filed April 21, '1909. Serial No. 491,335.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS FARMER, J r., a citizen of the United States,and residing at Albany, county of Albany, State of New York, `haveinvented certainnew and useful Improvements inThermostatic ControllingApparatus for -Heating Systems, the following being a full, clear, andexact disclosure of one form'of my invention which I at present deempreferable. v

My invention relates to an automatic or thermostatic controlof heatingsystems and particularlythose adapted tobe used on railway cars whichare ordinarily heated by steam from the locomotive.

My invention relates particularly to a heating system'` which may beused either as a low-pressure system, the steam. being throttled beforepassing through the heat# ing pipes, or as a high-pressure system, thesteam passing directly from the train pipes to the heating pipes withoutany reduction in pressure, although the outlet from the controllingdevice will still be regulated by the thermostatic device.

For a detailed description of the present form of my invention,reference may be had to the following specification and to theaccompanying' drawings forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is atransverse sectional view of a railway car showing a heating systemhaving my improved controlling devices ap-` plied thereto; Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 5; Figs. 8 and 4 arevertical sectional views of the valved portions of my improvedcontrolling device showing the parts in the relative positions when thecontrolling device is being used to supply low-pressure steam or vaporto the heating pipes, and when used to supply high-pressure steamthereto, respectively, Fig.-3 being taken on the line Fig. 5.' Fig. L5is a top plan view. j

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates l the iioor of the car, whilethe numeral 2 indicates the side thereof.

The numeral 3 indicates the upper or outgoing heating pipes for thesteam, while the numeral 4 indicates the incoming or return heatingpipes for the steam, both of these pipes being shown as arrangedlongitudinally of the car.

VThe numeral 5 indicates the casing of my improved controlling device,and the numeral 6 the thermostatic regulator attached to the saidcasing. The train line supply pipe for the steam is indicated by thenumeral 7, and this is connected with thecasings of the controllingdevice 5 by the branch pipes 8.v The pipes 9 connect the upper part ofthe casing 5 with the steam heating pipes 3, while the pipes 10 connectthe return steam heating pipes 4 with the casing 5 in which the outletof steam and water or condensed vapor are controlled.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the numeral 11 indicates the hollow diaphragmin which a suitable eXpansible substance is contained, and which causesthe diaphragm to expand along its transverse axis, according to thedegree'of heat by which it is surrounded. This diaphragm is preferablylocated upon a suitable support, such as the spider 12, and mayl beadjusted to close the valves connected therewith at the requisitetempera-V ture, by means of the adjusting .screw 13. A plate 14 restsupon the top of the diaphragm 11 and is provided with a stem 15 whichextends upward through the casing 16 where it connects with the valvestem 17 by means of a universal or ball-and-socket joint 18. A spring19, having one end seated within the casing 16, and having its oppo siteendlbearing against the plate 14, tends tov contract the diaphragm 11against the pressure of the substance containedtherein. The port 20 inthe casing 5, by means of which the return pipe 10 is connected withsaid casing, communicates with the chamber 21, the upper and lower endsof which are formed by the screw-threaded disks 22 and 23 respectively.In the chamber A21. andv held in position by said disks, is a suitablestraining device 24, made of wire gauze or other reticulatedV material.The valve stem 17 rpasses through the disks 22 and 23 and is` providedwith a series of parallel ridges 17 which form guides for the stem andat the same time allow the chamber 21 to communicate with` the chamberin the casing 16, through the valve 25. The upper end of the valve stem17 is provided with a small groove 26, which forms a by-pass, and willconnect the inflow chamber 27 with the chamber 21, so as to prevent theaccumulation of water in the former, when the system is not inoperation. Y

The numeral 28 indicates an adjustable valve member having transversepassages 29 therein, and a vertical passage 30 communicating with thechamber 27. The valve member 28 forms an adjustable valve seat whenconsidered in connection with the valve stem 17, controlled by thethermostatic device. The valve member 28 is made adjustable by means ofscrew-threads 31 carried 'by the rotatable valve rod 32, whichterminates in a square end 33, adapted to receive a suitable lwrench orhand-Wheel 34. The valve member 28 also cooperates with an opening inthe valve seat 35, fixed in the partition 36, between the chambers 37and 27. lt will thus be seen that when the valve member 28 is raised outof the cylindrical casing of the valve seat 35, there is a directcommunication between said chambers 37 and 27 independently of theopenings 29 and 30. The movable valve member 28 preferably has a loosetin the cylindrical portion of the valve seat 35, as indicated. Thispermits but little steam to pass around the valve member 28 when thevalve is partially open and prevents friction by expansion orcontraction. A. suitable screen of wire gauze or similar materialsurrounds the valve member 28 and serves to prevent particles of dirt,carried by the steam, from entering the chambers in the valve casing.The steam supply pipe 8 connects with' the casing 5 through the port 38,which communicates with the chamber 39. A hand operated valve L.t0controls the admission of steam from the chamber 39 to the chamber 37,so that the flow of steam to the heating pipes connected with the valvecasing 5 may be turned oft or on independently of the regulating orcontrolling devices.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the parts of my improved controlling device asarranged when the car is being heated by low pressure system of vapor.In this form vthe valve member 28 is in its lowest position against theseat 35 permitting the steam to pass through the passages29 and 30 only,the flow of the steam through said passages beingcontrolled by thevalvestem 17 In Fig. 4.- the valve member 28 is raised so as to permit. theflow of steam around said valve as well as through the passages 29 and30. In this position the end of the valve stem 17 cannot contact withthe valve member 28 or in kany manner regulate the How through thepassage 30. Said valve stem 17 however, is free to move upward anddownward to close or open valve 25, depending upon the degree of heatsurrounding the diaphragm 11 and supplied by the outgoing steam orwater. In this way the steam outlet is controlled of condensation isallowed to tiow away when high-pressure steam is used, as well as whenlow-pressure steam is used, and the valve member 28 is in its lowestposition.

In operation the steam enters chamber 39 through pipe 8 and when' thevalve 40 is raised passes through chamber 37 and the passages 29 and 30into the chamber 27 and from thence through the pipe 9 to the radiator.The passage of the steam is controlled by the thermostatically operatedstem 17. After passing through the radiator the steam and water ofcondensation enter the chamber 21 and flow downwardly past the valve 25onto the plate 14 covering the thermostat 11. The valve 25 is soarranged as to independently control the steam outlet.

By the above description it Vwill be-seen that I provide a controllingdevice which maybe so manipulated as to instantly convert the heatingpipes from a low-pressure to a high-pressure system, or vice versa,while at the same time no manipulation is necessary to regulate theaction of the outlet or trap valve for releasing the water ofcondensation. The adjustment of the movable valve member 28 Y permits awide range in the amount of steam supplied to the. heating system andVtherefore enables the temperature of the interior .of the car tovbecontrolled accurately and between wide limits. A further advantage ot'this arrangement arises from the fact that the outlet or trap valve isnot allowed to cool to such a degree that the water of condensationtherein may become frozen in cold weather while the steam is in thetrain pipe. lf the valve should become cooled to such an extent as tofreeze the water therein, it may easily be thawed out by permitting theentering steam to pass directly through the valve when the steam isrstturned on.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. A controlling device for heating systems comprising a casing providedwith a steam supply passage and a return passage, a hand valvecontrolling said steamsupply passage and provided with passagestherethrough, a normally stationary valve seat with which said lvalvecoperates, and a thermostatically operated member provided with valvesfor respectively controlling the flow through said return passage andthe supply through the passagesin said hand y valve.

2. A controlling device for heat-ing systems comprising a casingprovided with a steam sup ly passage and a return passage, an adjusta levalve seat, a valve coperating with said seat and controlling the steamsupply passage and provided with passages l y therethrough, and avthermostatieally conindependently ot the inlet, so that the watertrolled member provided with valves for respectively controlling the owthrough said return passage and regulating the flow through the passagesin said valve.

3. A controlling device for heating systems comprising a casing providedwith a steam supply passage and a return passage, a hand valvecontrolling said steam supply passage and provided with passagestherethrough, a normally stationary valve seat cooperating with saidvalve, a second valve member adapted to control the flow through saidvalve passages, a valve or controlling the flow through said returnpassage, and a thermostat for operat-ing the two last mentioned valves.

A. A controlling device for heating systenis comprising a casingprovided with a steam supply passage anda return passage, a hand valvecontrolling said steam supply passage and provided with a movable memberhaving a passage therethrough, a normally stationary valve seat providedwith a cylindrical wall surrounding said movable member, and athermostatically controlled member provided with valves forVrespectively controlling the flow through said return passage and alsoregulating the iiow 'through the passage oii said movable member.

A controlling device for heating systems comprising a casing providedwith a steam supply passage and return passage, a hand valve controllingsaid steam supply passage and provided with a movable member having apassage therethrough, a normally stationary valve seat provided with acylindrical wall surrounding said movable member, a second movablemember adapted to control the flow through the passage of said firstmentioned movable member, a valve controlling the flow through saidreturn passage, and a thermostat operatively connected with said secondmember and the last mentioned valve.

v6. A controlling device for heating systems comprising a hand operatedinlet valve provided with a passage therethrough, a movable membercontrolling the flow of steam through said passage when the valve isclosed, an outlet valve, and a thermostat operatively connected withsaid movable member and said outlet valve.

7. A controlling device for heating systems comprising a hand operatedsteam inlet valve having a passage therethrough, a valve seat coperatingwith said valve, a movable member for controlling the How of steamthrough'said passage when the val-ve is closed, any outlet valve, and athermostat connected with said outlet valve and said movable member.

8. A controlling device for heating systems comprising a hand operatedinlet valve having a movable part provided with a passage therein, anormally stationary valve seat provided with a cylindrical wallsurrounding said valve, a movable member for regulating the iiow throughsaid passage when the valve is closed, an outlet valve, and a thermostatoperatively connected with said outlet :valve and said movable member.

9. 'A controlling device for heating systems comprising a casingprovided with a chamber having a steaml inlet and a steam outlet, thelatter leading to a radiator, a hand operated valve controlling thepassage of steam through said chamber, said casing being also providedwith a second chamber having an'inlet and an outlet, Saidv inletcommunicating with the return from said Y radiator, a thermostaticallycontrolled valve for regulating the flow through said second chamber,and a second thermostatically controlled valve cooperating with saidhand valve to regulate the flow of steam through the iirst mentionedchamber.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal vbefore twosubscribing witnesses, this 16 day of April, 1909.

THOMAS FARMER, JR.

yitnesses CORNELL S. HAWLEY, MORGAN F. MAcDoNo-UGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

